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Robby Gordon’s new Off Road Stadium Super Trucks series will make a stop here today at noon for a 20-minute exhibition that driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. believes could knock the socks off of fans.
“You’re going to see the trucks drifting, sliding, laying down a lot of rubber, making a lot of noise with the treaded tires,” said Luyendyk, who finished fourth in the series bell-ringer April 6 in Glendale, Ariz. “Obviously, hitting the steel jumps, going maybe 80-plus (miles per hour) and it’s going to be really spectacular. I think it’s going to be sort of a throwback because (the late) Mickey Thompson did have an event on the asphalt.
“We’re just really trying to build awareness and get people to come out to the stadium races because our first event was insane. It was so much fun and the crowd there, I think, had a blast and I think Robby has something that is really special and it’s great that he brought stadium racing back to motorsports.”
Luyendyk, of Scottsdale, Ariz., said although these trucks are made to drive in dirt, they “are really spectacular on asphalt.” He also said he is hopeful this could turn into a points event at Long Beach.
Luyendyk is the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk.

It’s no secret that Marco Andretti has not been happy about the way his IndyCar career has gone. He told this newspaper just that last year at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. In seven seasons ahead of 2013, Andretti’s highest finish in series points has been seventh twice. Last year he was 16th. And, he has won just two races.
Andretti is off to a nice start this season, with a 3rd-place finish at St. Petersburg and seventh at Barber, good enough to put him in fourth place in series points with 61.
“I think I’m pleased,” said Andretti, who races for his father, Michael, and Andretti Autosport. “I’ve been really working on consistency in the off-seasonn and we have that. But I need to be consistently better. Obviously, having teammates wins races, it bodes well for us and what we can do in the future. But I definitely feel it’s my turn and we need to win.”
Andretti said one of the things he concentrated on during the off-season was improving his performance on street and road courses. St. Pete is a street course, Barber is a road course and Long Beach is a street course.
Oh, yeah. I mean, on the streets you just have to look at the results,” he said of previous years. “I was over-driving it, but I didn’t know how I was over-driving it. It has noting to do with focus or anything like that. It’s just been working on what I’ve been lacking, you know?”
Andretti, 26, said he could not divulge and what he found out in that regard. But he did have an interesting response when asked if he believes this could be his
breakout year.
“It has to be, yeah, it has to be,” he said between practices at his transporter in the IndyCar paddock.
And why is that?
“Well, I think that speaks for itself, doesn’t it?” he said.
Andretti then walked away.

Aaron Flowers is an Artesia High football legend, as gifted a quarterback as the program has ever seen and as distinguished as a prep player in his sport as the O’Bannon brothers, Jason Kapono and James Harden were in the gym.
On Friday, Flowers will return to Artesia as the head coach of San Juan Hills. The Stallions are off to a 2-0 start this season after an 0-10 campaign last year. Flowers is in his second year in charge.
“It will be very interesting (returning to Artesia),” Flowers said. “I still have a lot of friends there. … (Artesia head coach) Joe Veach is a friend of mine.
“It will be very interesting to stand on the other (sideline).”
Flowers threw for 8,873 yards in his career, which is still seventh on the CIF Southern Section all-time list, and completed 582 passes (11th). He also tossed 79 touchdowns and was selected CIF-SS Division VII Co-Player of the Year as a junior. After graduating A-High in 1993, he went on to an All-America career at Cal State Northridge, and has been in teaching and coaching since.
Flowers said his father, longtime Artesia coach Norm Flowers, will attend the game, and his loyalties seem a bit torn.
“I told him he’ll have to stand behind the goalposts,” Aaron joked, “… but he’ll probably make his way back and forth to say hi to everybody.”
Artesia enters the game at 1-1 after a 55-14 loss to Whittier. Despite the score, Veach was pleased with his team’s overall effort.
“The score looked lopsided,” he said, “… but I saw some things that we did well.”
Artesia tied the score at 14 before Whittier pulled away. A blown pass coverage led to one score, and a pair of turnovers led to two more, giving Whittier a 35-14 advantage in about four minutes.
Game time Friday is 7 p.m.

Jordan High will be holding a fundraising “drive” on Saturday at Houghton Park in Long Beach. The Panthers will be looking to raise money for the baseball and softball programs.

The Jordan softball booster club has partnered with Glenn E. Thomas Dodge Chrysler/Jeep. The local auto dealer will bring new Dodge vehicles to the event, where parents, faculty and guests can earn $20 for the Panther teams by taking a brief test drive and completing a short survey. Anyone with a valid driver’s license, age 21 or over, can “drive for dollars.”

For more information, contact Dan Garcia at (626) 643-8089 or via email at dgtiger15@gmail.com.

Athletes of the WeekBoysRashaad Penny, Jr., NorwalkPenny ran all over Diamond Bar in a 52-38 victory Friday night. He rushed for a game-high 258 yards on 18 attempts, including touchdown runs of 75 and 46 yards, for the Lancers. For good measure, Penny also scored on a 70-yard pass play.

GirlsHeather Eggers, Sr., LakewoodThe senior libero had a fantastic season-opening week for the Lancers. Eggers recorded 91 digs and four aces in leading Lakewood to four wins and into the championship match of the Molten-Gahr Invitational tonight.

Former Poly High star George Daily-Lyles made five tackles and broke up a pass for the University of Hawaii in Saturday’s 49-10 loss to top-ranked USC at the Coliseum.
The junior linebacker is one of six Warrior players with Long Beach-area ties. Fellow linebacker T,J, Taimatuia, a sophomore from Artesia High, added four tackles and freshman running back Will Gregory from Dominguez ran 11 times for 48 yards.
Tight end Clark Evans (Los Alamitos HS, Cerritos College), defensive lineman Siaki Cravens (Long Beach City) and wide receiver Justin Alo (Carson HS) are also on the Hawaii roster but did not record stats in Saturday’s game.

Week 1 seemed like it was going to be tough for the Moore League.
It was tough… and then some.
The Moore League went 0-for, and some of the scores weren’t pretty

Lakewood lost to St. John Bosco 54-7
Cabrillo fell to San Clemente 37-7
Jordan was beaten by Santa Margarita 35-6
Millikan was hammered by Aliso Niguel 48-8
Wilson fell behind big and lost to JSerra 37-21

In closer games…
Poly fell to Serra 20-12
Compton lost to Centennial 20-14 on the final play of the game